Sugar Plum Faery Vodka. . . a new trad in my house

I took up the challenge of celebrating Sviata Vechera with my friend Ms. Dirty. It was an amazing experience and even though I was sick through most of it I completely enjoyed the whole get to know my Finnish ancestors experience. I decided to focus on one set of ancestors because our line has been broken and mostly mysterious due to the tragedies of history. I never really knew my paternal Grandfather. I didn't really meet him until I had an accidental trance. . . my first trance ever btw. He showed up and after the experience I spoke to my parents about it and they both verified the identity of the person I was speaking to. It became my first proof of ancestral connection.

Upon investigation of Finland and her Yuletide customs, I found out that it is indeed the Land of Santa and that inspired me to invoke the spirit of the sugarplum faery along with inviting my Finnish ancestors to celebrate with me. At first, I wanted to just include the family in this tradition, but the further I went in my research the louder my Grandfather's voice became: No, this is to be a small gathering of your closest kith and kin. That's how we did it. So I caved and sent out invites to my closest friends and a few of my husband's closest friends. It was not regretted.

My kids and I turned the house upside down and cleaned it in accordance to Finnish tradition and made decorations that my ancestors would recognize. I planned the menu which included a glazed ham, a green bean mushroom casserole, cheeses and breads, sugarplums, and of course the glogg and gingerbread cookies. Upon reading the vodka could be used to spike the glogg, I brewed my own special addition to the celebration. Sugarplum Faery Vodka! It was met with grand approval from my grandfather so I set to work. I will know share the recipe here with you because it is indeed a great tasting brew!


Sugar Plum Faery Vodka

( this must be prepared several weeks before you plan on drinking it so plan well.)

1/2 cup dried apricots diced
1/2 cup dated pitted and diced
1 cinnamon stick
2 pinches nutmeg
1 pinch clove
the zest of one lemon and/ or orange
all this steeped into 1 750mL vodka for 3 weeks
Strain
next, because the sugarplum faery has the glamory of a purple hue, steep 1/2 cup  blackberries in the brew for another 2-3 weeks to color it. Strain again and store in a pretty bottle. I offered the marc ( the steeped remains) back into the earth in my garden beds. The birds loved it. . . and probably were good and tipsy. It sort of reminded me of a news story from a few years ago when birds were acting drunk in Australia. . . but my birds weren't falling out of the trees and wobbling around. ( no birds were adversely affected in the making of this offering)

This tastes very good in glogg, hot chocolate, lemonade and iced tea

Of course there is a bit of magic in calling the sugarplum faery into this brew but that should be a personal experience you draft for yourself. Words and magics of the heart are far more effective than anything you could recite and copy from me.

Thank you Ms. Graveyard Dirt for encouraging all of us who answered your emotional blackmail call to participate in this with you. Love you muchly Ms. Dirty! I have no regrets other than I felt like crud during this time. Next year. . . I'm gonna be well and whole for this experience! Cause I'ma gonna do it again!

( yes next post is gonna be about sacred possession. . . I haven't forgotten ;) )